How Do We Know What Air is Like on Other Planets?

How do we know what the air is like on planets we haven't visited? This video explains how to see air from 150 light years away.

Thanks to NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope project at the Space Telescope Science Institute for supporting this video.

If you want to learn more about how we detect transiting exoplanet atmospheres via emission or absorption spectroscopy, here's Sara Seagers website:

We know the atmospheric composition of Jupiter, Europa, etc, but how do we know the atmospheres of places we can't go?

And twitter - @minutephysics

Minute Physics provides an energetic and entertaining view of old and new problems in physics -- all in a minute! Created by Henry Reich

[YF]

YES HD209458b!

my favorite exoplanet

[EugeneKhutoryansky]

In Star Trek, the atmospheres of all the planets ended up being suitable for humans to breath without a space suit. Just like all the aliens looked like humans and spoke perfect modern English.

[katiekawaii]

SCIENCE IS AMAZING. Humankind is amazing.

[solhsa]

you mean, what the atmospheres WERE like..

[MacroVagical]

I'd love to see more videos on how scientists figure this kind of stuff out.

[pcsecuritychannel]

Minute Physics is back! #MakeYouTubeGreatAgain

[paradox...]

I recall doing this experiment in college.. It totally blew my mind! Great video!

[SapientPearwood]

This stuff is always so cool. STSI is on right next to my campus, so we hear about this stuff in seminars pretty regularly, but it never gets old thinking about what it's like on an alien planet

[TFase]

Very interesting. I like that you cover the difficulties it has as well. I enjoy seeing depth when covering current theories. Also I like the crayon style for the drawings as well.

[SieghartVonReich]

Thanks for clarifying something that's been bugging me for a while now but never bothered to research about!

[kulongers]

I love your videos so much. I learn stuff I never thought possible in a amount of time that's shorter than I expected. Never stop doing what you do.

[JahysHusband]

That was awesome, I never really thought about how we knew about what air is like on other planets. Really cool thanks for the interisting video. The animation was really good as well

[tatianamgibson]

I'm way too excited for the James Webb Space Telescope

[poweroftheweez]

I have wondered this for a long time. Great job minutephysics

[Aeronaut]

Great, quick video, very informative. Thanks for posting!

[unvergebeneid]

I can't wait for the James Webb Space Telescope. Get that thing up there already! 2018 is too damn long :/

[abril]

You should do a video on gravitational waves!

[choppedfoxx]

Whoever does the graphics for these videos is doing a great job

[wayrahuly]

So this was the emission and absorption spectra we learnt, no memorised in class. You sir, made me understand.

[knotwrite]

This technique only works on large planets (typically gas giants) that have wide orbits around their stars (well outside the "habitable zone").

NASA had a project called the "Terrestrial Planet Finder" which would have allowed us to get a look at earth-like planets in the habitable zones of stars, but sadly our Congress cut funding for the project in 2007 and it was cancelled.

Such a shame.